


Crisis Point

by luminerd



Series: Time Crisis [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Identity Reveal, SuperCorp, Time Travel, anti-monel, hes only in it for drama and douchebaggery, i mean all women, karlena, most of the women in this are queer, slowburn supercorp, supergirl reveal, time crisis, when i say most
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-09-27 05:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9976298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luminerd/pseuds/luminerd
Summary: When a figure comes through a crack of time and space and tells you that the world is ending, there's always two options: to believe them, or to think they're insane.  Lena Luthor finds herself leaning toward the former... especially when that person that comes through claims to be her daughter.





	1. Jump

The humming felt inconsistent, like the stripping of a vehicle’s gears as it moved from first to second, screeching unhappily every other passing moment.  Gears were turning, interlocking, stubbornly movingly along despite the light rust upon the hinges- a success, despite the initial wariness of the function.  Slowly, the outer ring curled about, slowly looping around, a simple rhythm beginning as it swooped and cried, metal against metal.  The ball within sat patient, the door hung open, awaiting it’s passenger as if it were saying goodbye to the Titanic itself.  
  
Still, under the darkened hazel eyes of the man working the machinery, whose limbs were strong and stern and his jaw clenched tight, it was enough.  
  
It had to be.  
  
“According to my calculations,” he started, his voice booming just above the apparatus, hands lifting to the googles that had been resting just above his brow.  Haphazardly, he snapped them onto his face, muttering a low curse as it hit his bridge, his grand scene ruined by improper procedure.  Grumbling, rubbing at his nose as he affixed the object upon his face, he heaved a quick, frustrated sigh.  “As I was saying,” he began, his fingers falling to the dials upon the pedestal before him, gently turning the output lower- the outer ring upon the machine followed suit, slowing.  “According to my calculations, you’d get there before the, uh-”  He turned, his hand awkwardly waving toward a large metal door, waving toward it with a gesture, “- that.”  The male returned to his post, fingers at work as he raised the bar handle a pinch, clearing his throat as he sought for the words.  “Do I have to remind you of-”  
  
“I got this.”  The words were muffled, strung tightly behind the mask that the figure firmly strapped on.  Their clothes were ragged, dirty, and the jumpsuit hung loose upon their form- and yet, compared to the older male, had much less grease and oil dripping from the cloth.  With a resounding click, the person stood still for a moment- only to turn to him with their thumb raised.  “Don’t worry.”  
  
“I’m always going to worry.”  The man huffed, looking to the helmet and the outfit with an awkward stare.  “... do you have to go all Martie McFly for this?”  The other being paused, part way through affixing gloves upon their slender hands- and he could feel the tired gaze through the darkened lens as if it had been shot directly to him.  “Alright, alright.  I get it.”  Still, the dark haired male could only give another sigh, his fingers anxiously moving into the salt-and-pepper beard he’d begun to grow and forgotten to shave.  “Look, if anything goes wrong-”  
  
“I know.”  The tone wasn’t unkind, yet slight irritance did creep in despite the understanding echoing within it.  “If things go bad, everyone dies.”  A beat- he could almost see the near cocky smile behind the helmet, and it only made him roll his eyes.  “You act like I haven’t had the world on my shoulders before.”  
  
“Alright, Atlas, alright.”  Playfully, the older man kicked at the broken surface beneath their feet, teasingly grinning as a rock freed itself and rolled its way to the suited person’s shoe.  “We don’t have time for your jokes, kiddo.”  
  
The final glove pulled on, the helmeted soul placed their hands upon their hips, striking a pose that made him think back to days long gone.  “You’re acting as if we don’t have all the time in the world with this thing,” they joked, amusement in their tone as they moved toward the pedestal, checking the pieces in silence.  Hazel orbs watched them expectantly, waiting, one brow raised as if asking them to-  “This should be one click up.”  
  
“God da-”  He swallowed the rest, squinting playfully.  “I was an IT guy, okay?  A very good one, and not a-”  
  
The one in the jumpsuit raised their hand, looking toward the large metal door, poised and almost twitching as they stood in place.  The dark haired male silenced himself, inhaling slow, holding in his breath as the other held their signal.  Behind them, the machine continued, a low screech echoing through the cavern as they remained.  Finally, the suited up figure moved, a quickness to their step that had been missing from before.  “We’re out of time.”  
  
The older man looked to them, staring, confused as they flopped themselves down upon the single seat- what had once been his super comfy desk chair.  They were pulling the belts down, firmly securing themselves as he did his best to catch up.  “What do you-”  
  
A bang against the front door.  He glanced back, fingers already at the work, already trembling at the mere thought of the dent he could already see bubbling in the center.  The man gulped, firmly pulling low a different lever- and the hatch slowly closed before his very eyes.  “Okay, okay- handsome older man in a bowtie piloting a time machine.  From the outside.”  Another bang, this time louder- he could hear it breathing, hear the growl of it’s jaws.  He did his best not to whimper.  “If Matt Smith can do it,” he chimed firmly, flicking switches upon the board in front of him, turning the dial to the appropriate place- he’d marked it with an arrow and a ‘stop here’ just in case of a tense situation, and if this wasn’t tense…  “Then so can I.”  
  
He paused, lingering, hearing another firm hit against the metal.  There was no way it was going to last another barrage- he knew enough about sci-fi to know what would be coming afterward.  Firmly, he palmed two buttons at once- and he could feel the heat begin to rise within the room as the outer ring began to swing, almost unseen to the naked eye, encircling the metal ball in the middle like nothing.  “Hey, kid.”  
  
“Ye-ah?”  
  
The returning voice, echoing from the receiver upon his pedestal, was broken, garbled; the system already falling short of their hopes.  They didn’t have time for pleasantries, and barely for goodbyes.  And yet…  “Live long and prosper, my friend.”  The radiating orb before him lifted from the ground, and he watched it as his hands lifted from the console.  Behind him, the wall exploded, concrete flying about as a large graying hand flew in.  
  
He barely heard his name, screaming as the console was torn asunder from the blow, before the machine blinked out of existence.

 

* * *

 

Lena Luthor never thought much of anything when it came to working- truly working, and not just the paperwork she was required to sign on the daily.  No, getting her hands covered in grime and dirt, adding in the possibilities of a scientific explosion that had nothing to do with a death threat, doing something for the good of mankind and her company without having to stand and smile and garner investors with each awkward comment she accidentally overheard about her body…  Doing something that was for her, building more than just the Luthor name up, was when she did her best thinking- simply because it came from no thinking at all.  Creating was her life blood, and it brought things into focus more often than not.  
  
Or, in the worst case scenario, got her away from the situations that forced her into thinking about things that could never be.  She did her best not to think of the flash of honey blond hair and blue eyes that came to her mind, inhaling slow as her fingers gently, carefully connected the appropriate wire to a small grounding device within the piece of hardware.  This was easier- this didn’t lead to a series of things that would more than likely destroy the thin fabric that was holding their friendship together- and so she had to focus.  
  
Perhaps it was foolish.  If someone told her that she wasn’t choosing the wiser path, she likely wouldn’t argue the fact.  Then again, something of this magnitude… it wasn’t made for the wise, and those who could calculate success and failure as easily as she could conduct her experiments wouldn’t often take the proverbial leap.  
  
But that was beside the point, and the last thing she wanted to do was to think.  Not about that.  
  
Straightening her back, the twenty four year old woman looked down upon her set gears with a studious eye, mentally mapping the methods it would take to create what she was starting, her fingers itching as they laid on either side of the unfinished technology.  There was more to do- perhaps more than she had ever planned to do- but it would be a personal project to work on for a good while.  Her right hand rose, rubbing at the back of her neck as she allowed her head to roll, a crack of her muscles and bones as she allowed her body to relax after the hours it had taken to get as far as she had.  The woman hummed, lowly, a soft groan on her lips as her stomach curled with a gurgle of need, growling hungrily.  Of course… she’d likely forgotten to eat again.  How many meals had she missed today?  Carefully, she peeled her goggles off of her features, rubbing quickly, efficiently, the indentation that the glasses had left behind.  
  
A second grumble caused her to pause as she made her first step.  Sharp, emerald eyes narrowed, listening, knowing without a doubt that it was not hunger that caused that particular sound.  She could feel it in the vibration under her feet, slow but quickly amping upward, like a drill through the earth itself.  That’s when she caught sight of it- a pencil, slim and dulled from use, lifting from it’s place upon the workspace as though gravity had lost its hold upon it.  Her limbs lifted, almost without her accord, the weightlessness sudden and wondrous… and terrifying, all at the same time.  Her head turned, lifting almost just in time to see a sphere appear- like a black hole, bending time and space, even physics, around it with ease.  Lights of blues, pale and dark, whisked through it, a spiral at the end of the tunnel as it grew larger and larger.  The circle seemed to bend the reality that it had created itself in, blending and breaking without shattering the universe around it.  As a scientist, Lena stared, captivated by the unknown situation before her, unraveling rapidly.  
  
As a human being, realizing that the sphere had grown nearly to the size of the room itself, from floor to ceiling, enveloping much of it inside of whatever it was… Her heart could only race, wondering how many more minutes she actually had of the life that she’d been given.  
  
The explosion that followed echoed loudly, familiar only by those who had witnessed many bombs exploding nearby in their past.  The wind whooshed firmly, painfully, slamming the young CEO against the far wall, several feet from where she’d been standing before.  Glass was shattering, beakers and other lab equipment sparking and breaking around her.  She could smell the scent of sulfur in the air, as well as the kindling of a fire that had likely begun in the wake of… whatever that had been.  
  
Everything hurt, pain trembling through her fingertips as the dark brunette haired girl’s sight began to blur- a possible concussion, she noted, wincing.  Still, Lena reached, shaky, bloody fingers- were they bloody?- clutching firmly at the counter of a desk that had somehow remained, pulling her weight almost uselessly against it.  Her jellied legs forced themselves to carry her personal mass, her nails- now chipped or broken- digging into the faux wooden space.  Stubbornness was what fueled her, needing to rise from the ashes like a phoenix as she had a hundred times before, and a Luthor was trained not to fall even when pushed.  This was no different, and she refused to join the ranks of the few who had failed.  
  
The research and development lab was in shambles.  Where the orb had once been now remained… a different one, with humming rings slowly winding down as it’s rotations began to jam into the earth beneath it.  The metal clunked, metal plates slowly dripping from it’s outer core like ice cream on a summer’s day- as if it had been falling apart at the seams to begin with.  Lena stared, her eyes widened, taking in everything she could, noting the shoddy workmanship of something that… didn’t seem of this world.  Her mind was awhirl, questions bubbling inside-  
  
It was the sound of stone ripping away from itself that caused her to turn away, looking up as the ceiling above her buckled.  She could feel the scream in her lungs- but like the ceiling, it crumbled, cutting off her words, the slab above her dropping.  Lena fell, leaning against the desk, hoping desperately for respite.  Her teeth clenched and her eyes shut tightly, her arms raised above her head in a fruitless hope.  
  
But then, after a few moments of waiting for the inevitable end… nothing happened.  
  
Slowly, carefully, the woman below opened her eyes, taking in the sight before her in stunned silence.  Where blue and red would have normally stood, holding aloft the floor above with an ease that never seemed to get old, a new figure stood- a jumpsuit, dirtied and a pale yellow-orange that came with age, and a helmet more fit for a motorcyclist than anyone else.  The eye shield had cracked, shattered slightly, and Lena could just barely make out a soft blue beneath the shadows staring hard at what they were holding above them.  
  
“You need to move.”  The words were stern, but they held a hint of something that the twenty four year old couldn’t place- an emotion that felt familiar yet… strange.  Their tone didn’t seem strained by the effort, and yet the phrase held a sense of urgency that she couldn’t deny.  “Please.”  It was soft, pleading kindly with her to take action, and the being’s azure gaze flitted cautiously between the slab and her.  
  
Swallowing, the dark haired woman moved, wincing, crawling delicately from her place upon the floor and doing her best to avoid the glass.  Lena stifled the surprised yelp as she listened to the concrete finally fall, the glow of the building flames now licking against her skin as she once more turned to look at her hero.  Gloved fingers moved to the helmet, gingerly leaning forward, removing the heavy head protection perhaps a little too swiftly.  Still, locks began to flow as the helmet sat in the falling grip of the person- a girl, one night much older or younger than she herself was- a mix of dark and light blond shimmering in the fire light.  
  
With a flip of hair, Lena could almost remember where she saw those all too familiar eyes, a flash of blues and reds once more returning into her mind.  Yet, with every second a familiarity, there stood a stranger in it’s wake- a sharp jaw, darkened brows that furrowed with concern and care, and the shape of the girl’s stare one that Lena could have sworn to see in the mirror.  Still, there was a mar to the perfection that the Luthor took in, a scar deepened into the right brow of the person before her, noticeable only because of the break within it.  
  
“You need to get out of here,” the figure stated, eyeing the room quickly before returning their attention back to the young CEO.  The young woman outstretched her hand, offering it, flinching as the hanging light above them sparked- but didn’t move away.  “There’s a lot to talk about, and-”  A pause, debating, a swallow in jumpsuited woman’s throat that the brunette had just barely noticed.  Carefully, Lena reached up, taking hold of the palm- only to find herself swept off her feet, held in the uncomfortable position of bridal style with the wrong blond.  
  
Finally, the pause ended, the stranger looking toward the exit with a stubbornness not unlike her own.  “I’ll explain everything when we get there… mother.”  
  
Lena felt her mouth dry at the sound as L-corp’s Research and Development lab left her sights at a speed that no human could reach.


	2. Quid Pro Quo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A possible enemy has possibly entered the elusive DEO building- but has given up as quickly as they have entered. Sitting in custody, they are forced to wait as their requests are met... with caution.

Alex Danvers didn’t think of herself as the kind of woman who shouted first, then took stock of the mess left behind.  She was a woman of decisions, one trained by various special agencies to do particular jobs, and had a way to fight crime, do bio-chem research, and somehow not get herself killed in the process.  She was methodical, often taking root to things in such a way as one might the scientific method itself- hypothesize, research, and then repeat the first two steps until an answer is found.  It was one of those things that she prided herself on, and she was damn proud of herself for it all because she had done amazing things time and time again alongside one of the most important people of her life.  She’d become well-versed in expecting the unexpected, and felt as though there was nothing else alien or unknown in this world that could surprise her anymore.   
  
Of course, when comfortable, the universe had a habit of throwing her into a loop that was, by far, something that was less than understandable.   
  
Standing in the center of the city headquarters, brazen as the day was long, was a woman in a jumpsuit, having appeared out of the corner of everyone’s eyes.  The jumpsuit looked to be old, unwashed for a millennia, but still she stood there even as guns were drawn on her- holding a wide eyed, confused, ash marred form of one particular young Luthor in the crux of her arms with the ease unfit of the girl’s form.  Alex raised her weapon- a new favorite that she’d found at the sight of an alien take down- brows furrowed, orders on her breath to hold the fire twitching at each agent’s trigger fingers.  The auburn haired woman stood, arms locked in place, her form unmoving and resilient- and watched the tenderness that the stranger took in placing Lena onto her feet, and the way she lifted her chin with a stubborn defiance that wasn’t hard to decipher.   
  
There was no fear of death in this person that had shown up on the DEO’s doorstep.  
  
Something swirled in those familiar blues- a darkness that the older Danvers’ sister couldn’t quite place and couldn’t really understand.  In her years of training, where she had been taught to decipher a soul by a single look alone without the aid of telepathy or other powers, there was something in this unknown soul that clawed at the recesses of her memories... her thoughts.  Alex could hear the shouting down hallways, the sound of more agents coming, aiming at someone who shouldn’t have come in, let alone known about their existence.  Still, the brown eyed woman stepped forward, lowering her hand from her gun, her finger still on the trigger as she reached out for the Luthor to take.  Her caramel orbs never left the girl, and the other’s gaze didn’t move from her-  
  
Yet, surprisingly, gloved palms raised in surrender, the intruder’s posture straightening as she clenched her jaw closed and watched as the CEO left her side.  There was a sadness in her gaze at the sight- one that Alex could register- but as soon as it was seen, it was gone.  “I’m not here to hurt anyone.”  The tone was even, practiced as if she’d said it either too many times or rehearsed it like a play.  Either option didn’t seem to be a good one in the Danvers woman’s book, and she refused to lower her weapon in kind.  “Miss Luthor-”  The name sounded foreign on the outsider’s tongue, awkward and odd, and Alex simply stashed the fact aside for the moment.  “Her ankle is sprained.”   
  
“Not a good enough reason,” Alex barked firmly, her arm reaching, waving the dark brunette woman behind her.  Kara would murder her if the Luthor got injured any more than she already had.  Still, the stranger didn’t move- even though Alex was already starting to come up with theories on this person’s capabilities to come into their agency undetected.  A speedster, like her sister’s alternate universe friend?  It would have to be a guess until she knew better.  Until then, she was left with all the possibilities and none of the answers.  Her thumb moved, cocking the weapon, a hum springing to life as the gun itself gave a low glow.  “This is a high security location.  I need an answer to why you’re inside of it.”   
  
The unknown blond gave a small crooked smile, a quirk to her lip and her scarred brow, as she waited, hands held partially up in an effortless surrender.  There was a smugness that set Alex’s nerves on to high alert, a full dislike settling at the seat of her stomach over it all.  Finally, the young woman spoke, “I need to talk to Supergirl.”  
  


* * *

  
Kara wanted to say that she wasn’t frustrated with things going on around her- the fact that Mon-El often seemed too unwilling to listen, preferring to disregard her thoughts and feelings rather than take them as the suggestion they were wasn’t helping.  She wanted to say that she wasn’t in the mood to ring his neck, or to sit back and watch him fruitlessly go against the terrors she’d already faced.  She’d be lying, but she wanted to say it all.  Still, only a groan exited her lips, a hand flying to the bridge of her nose, massaging the migraine that was sure to come after the long and tiresome argument that had begun what felt like hours ago.  “Mon-El-”  
  
“Mike,” he corrected, almost politely if it wasn’t for the smug smirk on his lips, or the low chuckle he knew that she had to hear.  “That is the name you all made me.”  This only caused her to heave another sigh, a silent plea behind her closed eyes as he continued to talk.  “Besides, you know I’m right.”  
  
“You are not right.”  Her hands shook as she settled them back at her side, her blue eyes opening to show her sheer annoyance.  “While I understand Daxam customs dictate certain things-”   
  
“Yadda yadda yadda.”  He was talking over her again, something that was thwarting every bone in her that told her to explain, to understand, to be kind and willing to re-examine their cultures and find something in common as well as teach a lesson.  So far, all she had found were more and more reasons as to why Krypton and Daxam had become bitter enemies, and less and less methods at her disposal to rectify it all.  Just because they were both the last of their kind didn’t mean that she had to like him… even though, Rao, she was trying.  “Look, it’s alright to say that we had it all right on my planet, okay?”  He gave a grin- one that might have been cute, possibly even adorable, if it didn’t come along with that horrendous personality defect of his.  “Everyone was happy, fulfilled, and the parties-”   
  
“Your planet enslaved women!”  Kara felt her blood boil, even as she took a long breath in an attempt to calm herself.  It wasn’t working.  Not even a little bit.  “Science and math went by the wayside!  Daxam put personal gain above everything else!”   
  
“Yeah, but at least it was fun.”  
  
The lackadaisical way he seemed to be able to explain away things that would make the United Nations cringe only made Kara’s skin crawl in ways that few other things could.  A part of her couldn’t help but think back to that Kryptonian pod, wishing she could just go back and just… never open it.  Or find a puppy.  At least when a puppy made a mess, there was a higher chance of her being more willing to clean it up and coddle it after scolding.  All Mon-El wanted was the coddling and cleaning, and he did nothing but complain as though he’d done nothing wrong whenever she scolded.   
  
Her phone gave a ring- familiar and noted in such a way that it only meant that there was just one person calling.  Or, well, one person and maybe the organization that she worked with in secret.  Honestly, she needed to change the tones to be different before the minor panic attacks got worse.  Pulling out her cell, she answered it, not even bothering to look at the name flashing at the front before placing it to her ear.  “For the love of Rao, please tell me there’s a burning building somewhere else.”   
  
“I- wow.”  The surprise and small chuckle in the tone caused her shoulders to loosen, thankful for the sound of her dear sister on the other end of the line.  Still, her form fell a little, disappointment echoing in her body as the realization hit that there likely wasn’t anything she could leave to do.  Darn it.  “Let me guess, you and tweedle dumb arguing about how he’s a sexist ass?”   
  
Kara glanced toward the male- whom had thankfully gotten distracted by a person standing at the bar.  She let out a soft sigh.  “It’s just- How does anyone think that anything he says is okay?  Like- ugh.”  The Kryptonian groaned running a hand through her hair in thought, leaning against one of the standing tables farther from the bar.  The last thing she needed was him telling her more about the sex-slaves of Daxam or the grand parties held in the prince’s honor that were more like keggers than a gala- that would only lead to another ineffective explanation to a man who didn’t want to hear how his planet’s customs were morally corrupt.   
  
“I know, Kar.”  There was a pause, and the blond narrowed her eyes as she leaned heavier against the receiver, listening deeper than what it was given.  A conversation was muddled in the background, lost in a machine that Alexander Graham Bell would be proud of.  Still, something was off- and it brought Kara’s shoulders higher in hopes of leaving this babysitter’s job she’d taken.  “Look, I need you to come in.”   
  
“Kitten in a tree?”  A girl could hope, despite the fact that the DEO didn’t handle those sort of cases.  Ever.  But, again, she could hope.   
  
“No, no.  I-”  Another pause, and the blond simply listened, patient.  She needed to at least do that, knowing that her sister rarely ever kept anything from her.  Especially something that likely lead to a case that Supergirl would have to partake in.  “I’ll explain when you get here.  Alright?”   
  
Kara nodded- although it took possibly less time than it had in the times before to realize that Alex hadn’t seen it, nor understood the silence that followed it.  She could already hear the woman on the other end of the line open her mouth, probably ready to question her, when she stumbled a quick, “Oh!  Right!  I’ll be there.”   
  
The bespectacled reporter didn’t bother offering a reason to her leaving as she zoomed out the door.  He likely hadn’t even noticed anyway.  
  


* * *

  
Lena Luthor was, by far, one of the most confused people in the room- which was saying something, since she could read the uncertainty and worry in every new face that she had come across so far.  The woman whom had appeared in her laboratory had been taken, albeit firmly and without much care, to a small room with a seemingly plexiglass front.  They’d tossed the young stranger unceremoniously, who had simply fallen and rolled with the force of their actions, no longer showing the feats that the CEO herself had seen with her very eyes.  There was no reaction, no retort, simply accepting the situation they were in as though it was something that they’d planned on... or at least figured.   
  
From the crease in Kara’s sibling’s brow, it was evident that the woman had come to the same conclusion, her eyes never leaving the cage that the girl had been thrown into.  Even in her phone call to the elusive Supergirl herself, the auburn haired woman didn’t look away- simply stood a good distance away from the Luthor standing idly in the room, who was surrounded by agents with guns hanging at the ready on their sides as though they expected her to fall into something nefarious.  She tried to not let it affect her, her jaw settling into a firm line as the usual sadness and bitterness coursed through her.  After all… a Luthor was only as good as their name- and most of them had dragged it into the mud.   
  
Nonetheless, Lena chose instead to focus on the woman, taking in the familiar yet unknown sights once more, weighing them in her mind like a quiet storm above the ocean.  The stranger had taken to seating herself upon the cot, which had been haphazardly left from the final occupant.  They simply gathered their hands together in silence, glancing around at the scene before her, watching the agents swarming like honey bees in their hive.  There was no animosity in her stare- just a wonder, a curiosity, and a soft series of emotions that Lena couldn’t help but recognize… longing.  Although, for what, the dark haired woman wasn’t sure.   
  
It was when those calculating blues landed upon her, looking almost through the guards that surrounded the woman to look directly at her, the green eyed twenty-four year old felt her heart offer a slight ache in response to the small smile and the slight unfurling of her hands to offer a short, uncertain wave that the unknown person gave.  The young Luthor held her stare, watching as the chill began to warm inside of them, watching as the girl finally looked away from her as guilt began to fill them.   
  
This person… she was an enigma, and one that she wanted to figure out.  Desperately.  Why?  Because her heart filled uneasily with her, and there was this… something that seemed to draw her in.  She had to just find out what that was, and then maybe… perhaps this odd day, with the exploding laboratory equipment and an intruder that could easily heave a stone four times her size above her head, would end.  Perhaps she would wake from it, like a dream.   
  
After all, that’s what it felt like- especially after this jumpsuited woman called her ‘mother’ before taking off at a rate that a human could just barely travel at.   
  
“Alex?”  The sound of that voice, as well as the clunk of familiar boots, garnered the attention to the room.  All sets of eyes, either expecting or unused to it all, turned to take in the sight of the famed and powerful Supergirl entering the celled area.  Even the prisoner had stood, lightly touching the glass that separated them from the crowd, thirsty for the sight of the hero- a surprise, and yet… not.  Still, the girl of steel looked about the room, taking in the faces of each member inside with scrutiny and confusion.  
  
Lena did her best to stand, her ankle flaring with pain at the attempt- and flushed at the squeak that exited her lips at the feeling, feeling the eyes of the blond champion move to her almost immediately.  Weakness was not something she easily showed, nor something she wished for any of these strangers to see- but she could already hear her name on the young legend’s lips, a breath almost forgotten, a hand on her shoulder to steady her back down upon the seat she’d taken before.  “You’re hurt.”  Supergirl’s tone was soft, caring, a gentleness that few in their lives could ever hope to manage.   
  
“I’m fine.”  She was, despite the fact that her leg felt more broken than sprained, but knew that that was a conversation for another time.  After all, there were more important things- and one of them had pressed closer to the plexiglass, carefully taking in the sight of the interaction with a cherished stare.  Still… it felt nice to be this close, to feel the woman’s hands upon her shoulders, for her heart to beat so wildly as though she was a school girl once again.   
  
“Supergirl.”  Alex called to them, interrupting a brief yet pleasant moment, a tablet in hand and her jaw set into place.  It was a look of determination, of work, and not one to be trifled with.  “We caught this one carrying Miss Luthor bridal style-” Lena flushed at the memory, embarrassed to have the hero hear it.  “- into the building.”  The auburn haired woman paused, letting the powered being moving beside her to watch the video as it played- a blur before the image stilled, showing the moment in high definition.   
  
“That’s a first- an alien breaking and entering here?”   
  
The agent nodded only once, swiping against the screen, a photo of the woman in the cage coming closer, squares briefly plotting themselves against her features, lists of names and species and whatever else filing underneath in silence as it searched for a long moment… only to come up with the word ‘error’ flashing.  “There’s no record of her, and no identification.”   
  
“If I could-”  The trio looked up, the voice of the woman dulled against the plastic glass covering separating the two sides.  There was a look of grave seriousness in the brown eyed woman’s gaze, one that caused the stranger to deflate underneath it.  “Or, you know, not.”  In all purposes, the CEO couldn’t quite blame her, having already been under that hard stare herself mere moments prior.  “That’s fine.”   
  
“You want to talk, then talk.”  The Danvers sibling spoke, an unsaid threat in her tone that only caused the newcomer to straighten inside her cell.  “You asked for Supergirl.  Here she is.  So talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little later than i would have liked to have posted it, I've just been going through some emotional baggage. It'll help me write, at least. lol XD Either way, I'm trying to keep the character's personalities pretty similar to they usually are, so there should be some amusing brevity in this chapter and the next with a few characters. Hopefully I managed... >~<
> 
> I know the chapter cut a little short, but it was heading into 10+ pages and I wasn't sure if that was good for the chapter length itself. The next will start off where I cut off, so there's that.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading. <3


	3. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stranger finally speaks, explaining much of their reasoning... and Lena realizes that there were some things that she'd missed in the hero that had saved her so many times before. And, as usual, someone comes in to screw up everything.

“You want to talk, then talk.”  The Danvers sibling spoke, an unsaid threat in her tone that only caused the newcomer to straighten inside her cell.  “You asked for Supergirl.  Here she is.  So talk.”  
  
The young hero placed a hand upon the other’s shoulder- a subtle, calming squeeze that the agent could only sigh heavily at.  There was something unsaid between them, the Luthor noted in silence- something that being work friends didn’t speak to.  
  
The darker blond nodded, glancing to the side as a brief shot of terror echoed behind the familiar blues, quite obviously debating on her phrasing, thinking back and rewording, wanting to get whatever it was right before it even left her mouth.  Inhaling deep, the jumpsuited prisoner cleared their throat, preparing themselves.  “My name is Astra, and I’m from the year twenty forty-seven… I think.”  There was a pause, an uncertainty, the stranger taking a brief moment to do their math in silence before looking back up toward the trio with a renewed sternness, realizing that she may have lost some focus for a moment in the wake of the first comment.  The Kryptonian was silenced, her blue eyes opened wide in a series of emotions that seemed to go unsaid- and the agent beside her seemed to only reach for her in that silence, squeezing her hand quietly.  “Anyway, just- I was sent here to tell you that-”  
  
“That you’re obviously faking something?”  The voice came from the back of the room, a young man holding a different tablet in his palm, leaning against the doorframe, almost muttering to himself or his windsor tie about it.  “Sounds like the plot of like… thirteen sci-fi flicks already.”  
  
“Winn!”  The name came easily, happily, from the stranger- something that caused both Alex and the male to look at her in surprise, caught off guard by it.  The awkward Jewish male stepped forward, narrowing his gaze in an attempt to register the speaker- but as the elder Danvers and the coder shared a glance, it was obvious that he didn’t recognize her.  “It’s good to see you.  God, you’re- you died when I-”  The stranger cleared her throat, pushing down the emotions that made her tone waiver for a moment.  “You’re… so young.  Jeeze.”  
  
“I… yeah, I’m- have we met?”  The male waved a finger between them, holding the tablet closer to him like a shield that could possibly protect him, his voice cracking slightly in confused uncertainty.  “Cause, like… I haven’t been to that bar in, like… ages, and I didn’t really drink, and we didn’t..?”  Another finger wave, this time more pronounced, an unsaid question standing between them- one that caused the girl to grimace.  
  
“Oh.  Oh, God no.  Just- I’m sorry, but ew?”  
  
“That’s not nice.”  
  
“Back!”  Lena watched quietly as Alex raised her hand, her blood pressure rising, surrounded by maybe too many inconveniencing situations to count, knowing that this was just going to end up as ‘one of those days’.  “Go back.  To the start.”  Her tone was even, but forced- definitely on the verge of a migraine, and one that the young business woman could see forming before her very eyes.  
  
“Right!  Right, um.”  The woman swallowed, slow and certain, a knowing stare in her eyes as she lightly pressed herself back against the plexiglass panel between them.  There was a hesitation, an uncertainty that flashed against the knowledge.  A heaviness remained there, quiet and resolute- something that the back and forth between the stranger and the male had briefly taken from, something that lead the CEO to watch the girl in silent curiosity... and subtle sadness.  Memories.  Lena could see them flash before her gaze, everlasting and unending- a lifetime of things that no one could understand, and yet…  The green eyed woman took to her feet, slow and steady, stepping forward past the recruits that had been put around her.  She could hear them huff, but she vaguely watched as the elder Danvers sister raised her hand in a method of telling them to take pause.  For a moment, as she limped forward, the Luthor woman and the agent shared a brief yet understanding gaze, and Alex gave her a soft nod in kind.  Permission- something that, in the position she was in, she needed.  “Astra… right?”  The blue eyed intruder, who had already destroyed and helped in more ways than the Luthor could likely explain, looked up to her in askance, unsure yet pained.  “It’s okay to tell us.  You were sent here to..?”  
  
For a moment, the young woman seemed ready to say it- but only looked to the various extras that remained, looking briefly between them and the one whom had spoken for the most part.  With another wave of her hand, Alex directed in silence- and a majority took to their feet, including the IT specialist- who seemed perturbed yet accepting of it all.  “No, he- Winn- he can stay.  This… He needs to hear it too.”  
  
“I’m good.  I’ve seen this movie.”  The male lifted his palm, waving on the way out the door, unwilling to stop or even comment more on the subject.  It wasn’t hard to read the disconnection in his jaunt, from the easy way that he slid his hand into his pocket.  
  
“Winslow Schott,” the voice called out, a swallow following after as she pressed against the plexiglass once more, watching his back with… something that felt much more than a longing.  “Son of a man you don’t want to see again.”  The woman paused watching him with hopeful eyes- and he stopped, thoughtful, his jaw tight with things he’d rather go unsaid.  Lena watched carefully, turning between both the halted form and the one who had called for him, his hand falling from his pocket.  The ease had been broken- replaced by something else, something… pained.  He didn’t need to turn for her to note his unhappiness in the phrase, as well as with the stranger.  “You- You grew up in Jersey.  Newark.  After your dad was arrested, you- you were so lonely.  The foster homes weren’t friendly, and-”  
  
“Okay!  Okay, okay, okay.”  The man pivoted, instead moving to the doorway, pressing a button on the keypad nearby so that the gateway closed themselves off.  He stood there for a long moment, debating, inhaling slow.  “Just- Stop.  With the talk.  Okay?”  There was no decision to be had, his demand made, childhood scars on his heart shown in his gritted teeth and embittered stare- but only for a moment, the man finally turning with a forced smile crossing on his lips.  Leisurely, he moved forward, tablet resting under his arm as his palms found the insides of his pockets once more in a forced relaxation that she could read with ease.  Still, he stood, waiting, annoyance in his gaze as silence passed for a moment too long, one hand leaving the confines of his pants to give a non-verbal ‘hurry’, waving his palm in a circular motion.  “Some of us have day jobs, McFly.”  
  
“Right.  Yes.  Um.”  The stranger cleared her throat, feeling the pressure built on their shoulders again- something Lena could see in the way her body seemed to respond, tensing and condensing in the short moments of thought that she was taking.  “I had this whole speech…”  She trailed off, finding herself once more, inhaling deep before returning to her words.  “I’m… from the future, and, well…”  She paused, shrugging, almost nonchalant.  “... the world is ending there.”  
  
“So…” the shorter male started, leaning against one of the stand ups, eyeing both parties in silent irritation.  “What you’re saying is this is The Terminator, you’re… Kyle Reese, here to warn us?”  The man sighed, finally gaining a pointed look from the auburn haired agent that he’d positioned himself near- and he raised his hands in defense, quick and reflexive, having already been under that stare more than enough times.  “Alright, I’ll drop it.  Yeesh.”  He paused, a mutter under his breath, his arms soon crossing in childish frustration.  “... No one likes the classics anymore…”  
  
Lena quietly took in the sights around her, listening quietly, thoughtfully, at the situation that had unfolded before her.  Her jaw was loose but set, the cogs in her mind in motion as she allowed everything to boil silently in her mind.  Green orbs narrowed, the information trickling behind them, piecing the bits together like a puzzle that she was missing too many of the parts to.  The machine that had just… appeared out of nowhere inside of her lab, forcing open what could have easily been a rip in time and space- as the stranger had offered- or something different, something more.  There were too many variables, too few explanations.  The young Luthor woman allowed her features to tense- doing her best not to notice the gentle, adoring stare that the agent was giving the hero, or the way that the agent seemed to place an understanding palm upon the woman’s shoulder.  Nonetheless, the brunette thought back, looking to anything she could in an effort to equally solve the perplexing situation- as well as distract herself from the duo nearby.  
  
Finally, emerald green looked up at the party, taking note in each face that surrounded her.  The irritation from the shorter male wasn’t hard to decipher, wearing it on his shoulders like armor.  The look upon Supergirl’s face reminded her much of someone having been hit in the stomach, doubled over and trying to recall why it was they got sucker punched just so.  The elder Danvers was watchful, her gaze torn between the hero- whom had leaned into the hand offered at her side for comfort- and the woman- Astra, as she’d introduced herself as- who had stepped back from the glass and seated herself down upon the unkempt cot behind her.  And there the CEO stood, surrounded by a ragtag series of people whom she was sure mostly wanted her out of there- all with an ankle that was pulsing unhappily.  
  
They seemed to be the least qualified group of people to carry this message.  
  
Still, a question burned in the back of her mind, unable to keep herself from asking it any longer.  “You… said something.  Back at L-corp.”  The words were strong, chosen carefully, and the Luthor woman set her sights officially on the alien figure in containment.  Astra stood straighter, a swallow in her throat, her hands moving to politely gather before her as she waited.  A strange reaction, but one she’d file away.  “You… called me-”  
  
“Mother.”  All eyes, not just Lena’s, returned to the jumpsuited woman, perplexed and uncertain at the word itself as though it was something to be deciphered than a name.  
  
“Why?”  She did her best not to sound admonished by it all, at the idea that some young woman from the future had come to her- a Luthor- and called her a name that the CEO had long ago decided to never take.  Her own palms shook lightly at the words, the way the girl who looked the same age as she looked at her with a reverence and gentleness that she hadn’t seen someone take before.  “I’m not going to procreate.”  There were more reasons, almost too many to add, that she could pinpoint to the impossibilities of her continuing the family line unto another- one of which she did not care to share with a room of people she didn't know entirely well.  Still, the statement was easy yet stern, spoken without a second of her past coating her words- yet she could feel two sets of blue land upon her, almost knowing all too well what they must think.  Supergirl… She knew the terror her own mother had caused, and she had to know that, future or no, she wouldn’t pull a small child into her family.    
  
And then there was this new person- Astra, with a small curl to her lips, who barely silenced a chuckle under an amused huff.  Disagreement.  Unspoken, yet dismissed.  A frown crossed Lena’s lips, a bile like distaste in her mouth at the memories that had soon begun to assault her senses.  The brunette saw it many times in her company’s council, as well as in her mother, her brother.  “Well… from personal experience… and existence... I’m going to say you changed your mind.”  A small laugh danced softly in the darker blond’s throat, a sad delight in their shared gaze.  “I mean… aren’t you and-”  
  
The door behind them slid open, metal detaching from metal, a single figure appearing from behind it- slipping in before the doorway once more closed.  “I heard there was a party in here.”  The cockiness wasn’t something that she expected, but Lena could remember it all too well.  He’d been a flash in the pan, a momentary meeting that he’d only gotten due to his interruptions between herself and-  
  
“Mon-El!”  The surprise in Supergirl’s voice- stringy and tense, filled with a forced smile that one could easily hear were they not smirking to themselves and looking fairly pleased with himself.  The businesswoman glanced about, taking note of everyone’s faces- unease, unhappiness, a severe dislike (something she already had in common with Kara’s sister), Kara-  
  
Kara.  
  
Lena’s eyes landed upon the hero, a quiet fascination mixing with horror, lost in the steely features that she’d often worn on her face before business meetings and colleagues.  
  
Kara.  
  
The blond hair, the subtle insecurities filling the heroic woman to the brim, the eyes that held a soft power within them with a sense of care that could fill the ocean with adoration…  The way she clenched her teeth, bit her lip, looked at Mike of the Interns- Mon-El, she realized after a short moment- as though he was doing something undeniably frustrating…  
  
Kara.  
  
Azure orbs looked to green, meeting- and the room around them seemed to silence as words, accusations, sadness, bitterness, happiness, heartache, and many more emotions slung between them… and all without a sentence spoken.  She could see the excuses building in the woman’s eyes, and feel how her own were growing wet with insecurities and unspoken anger.  There was this secret that had hung between them- one that could have easily changed their entire dynamic... one that the girl had chosen to keep to herself rather than be honest, rather than bring her along like a toy.  
  
It had been all been a game- and Kara had made her the laughing stock.  Everyone around her was in on it, and she was the fool all along.  Like usual.  


* * *

  
“No.”  The jumpsuited woman stood, eyes holding heavy on the male not too far away, her jaw clenching at the very sight of him standing there.  “No no no.”  Her words were in part amusement, part astonishment, part hope- although perhaps not what most would assume she was denying.  Her lips did not smile, and her hands curled into fists against the glass as she gave an embittered hit against the plane, frustration in her every movement.  “No.”  The last was more forceful, more disbelieving- and she pressed a finger against the wall standing between them bitterly, a growl of dislike fresh in her throat.  “You… You’re not supposed to be here.”  
  
Mon-El stood, nonchalant, a smirk crawling it’s way onto his handsome face as his fists rested heroically at his hips.  “Who do we have here?” he asked, a chuckle to his tone as he looked about the room at each person- and those who were not already distracted by other things simply gave an internal groan that was written on her features if you looked hard enough.  “You guys didn’t tell me you were getting a stripper.”  
  
The woman in the cell’s eyes glowed, hot with barely quelled rage, steam hissing at the edges.  Again, the strangers slammed a fist at the wall, doing the same damage as she had the first time- nothing.  Nonetheless, a grumbling snarl remained like an animal caged and watching it’s prey, forced to stay and pace in a place where she could not grab, could not throw.  “You were supposed to be in the Phantom Zone.”  This brought nearly everyone’s attention back to the stranger, back to the conversation that seemed to have brought in more words that no one outside of a few should know, back to the pacing time traveler whom had pulled away from the cell wall.  She moved through her cell, back and forth, counting on her fingers, slowing doing the math as Alex and the hero drew closer to her, questions in their gazes.  Finally, she stopped, turning to look at the duo with panicked, pained blue orbs.  “What day is it?”  
  
“The fourth,” the agent answered, ease in her statement as her palm moved to her hip, close enough to her weaponry.  “Why do you-”  
  
“The fourth of what?”  
  
Supergirl watched, her eyes filled with her thoughts but also with a quiet curiosity- one that could not be subdued by her memories so fresh, so painful.  “It’s… March.”  She waited a beat, letting the words sink in for a second before adding, “Of twenty-seventeen.”  
  
The darker blond stood, silent, her mouth slowly opening to a gape, cautious sea colored orbs deeping into a mysterious, lost midnight.  She stumbled, her feet stepping backward, her head shaking as the words sank in.  The young woman flopped herself down upon the cot, the tremble in her hands moving with the sway of her speechless dissent, her elbows upon her knees as her hands moved into her long locks of hair.  “No no no no.”  The words were muted, lost in the curve of her body as she muttered her words.  “I’m early… I’m too early, no.”  The base of her palm smacked in rough rhythm against her forehead, a nearly unheard curse with each slap.  
  
Mon-El watched, confusion crossing his gaze as he allowed his finger to point along the three women, his features twisting in utter bewilderment.  “Should I just..?  Cause if this is a thing...”  
  
“You’re not even…”  Her words died, lost on her lips as she looked up at the champion of National City, a pain in her gaze that Kara knew without a moment of thought- loss, rejection, ache for all the things that were supposed to be but weren’t.  “You’re not even dating.”  
  
“Mon-El?”  The words came a little harsher, a little more taken aback, than she meant.  Their earlier argument remained fresh in her memory, and she doubted that she would be able to take the idea seriously.  Their values, their thoughts, their entire lives, were far too different for that to potentially work in any sort of manner.  
  
Astra once again shook her head- this time more furiously than the last, her arms falling to rest in her lap.  There were so many things she wanted to say, so many statements that she had wanted to start with- but none of them were the ones she thought she would have to even speak.  Her heart ached within her chest, feeling lost… and completely, totally alone.  “No.  No no.  Not him.”  She exhaled, slow and deep, closing her eyes as she let her head hang heavily at her shoulders.  “You’re… supposed to be with my mother.”  A heavier sigh left her lips, a hand raising in attempt to project the uncertainty she was feeling with the movement of her palm.  Shyly, the young woman looked up, a hand moving to part her hair, open so that only one eye met with the startled gaze of one Kara Danvers.  “You… and Lena.  You two… You’re my parents.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had most of this written yesterday already, before I'd posted the second chapter, and wanted to crank it out as soon as I could before the ideas got stuck in my head. Lol That said, there will DEFINITELY be a little bit of a wait for the next chapter because I'm giving them to you as soon as they're finished now. Hopefully this one came out as decently as the last...
> 
> As usual, I hope that you enjoyed! Getting all these comments and kudos and bookmarks really makes my days a lot better, and I'm so grateful for each one of you that take the time out of your day to do so. Every one of you is amazing!!

**Author's Note:**

> this story started as a conversation piece between myself and a good friend, and sort of went from there.
> 
> hopefully you enjoyed!


End file.
